ESPN Men's Basketball

There are several mid-majors that will not get much run during the regular season but should be really good by NCAA Tournament time. Don't let these teams surprise you because their scores aren't on "SportsCenter":

Winthrop: The Eagles came within a bucket of beating Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament and that would not have been an upset. Craig Bradshaw is a big man who can shoot it and Torrell Martin is the best athlete in the Big South. Winthrop should be the best team in the conference -- again -- and all non-conference foes should prepare for a fight.

Nevada: Mark Fox looks like he is turning Nevada into the Gonzaga of the WAC. Nick Fazekas will take home player of the year honors again, and he has plenty of help to get the Wolf Pack back to the NCAA Tournament. Nevada does not win games from the 3-point line; it wins games with hard-nosed defense and getting quality shots. Point guard Ramon Sessions is a heady passer and handler, Marcelus Kemp can get to the rim and the free throw line, and Kyle Shiloh can knock down shots. Nevada is solid in any league.

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